Walk-in bathtub



March 5, 1968 v. M. HAYSLETT WALKJN BATHTUB Filed March 25, 1966 INVENTOR \/E ERA -M HAYSLETT sited States Patent O 3,371,354 WALK-IN BATH-HUB Vetra M. Hayslett, 315 E. Union, Walbridge, Ohio 43465 Filed Mar. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 537,465 5 Claims. (Cl. 4-173) My invention is directed toward a walk-in bathtub having a door which permits the user to enter and leave the tub without having to step over the side thereof.

It is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved walk-in bathtub having means to prevent the door from being opened when the tub contains water whereby the door can only be opened when the water is fully drained from the bathtub.

Another object is to provide a new and improved walkin bathtub of the character indicated which is provided with means to permit the user to bathe in seated position.

Still another object is to provide a new and improved walk-in bathtub of the character indicated wherein the water drain can be operated either from inside the bathtub in seated or standing position or from the outside of the bathtub.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of my invention will now be explained with reference both to this specification and to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my walk-in bathtub with the door shown in open position; and

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of my walk-in bathtub as taken along reference line 22 in FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-2, there is shown a flat horizontal base having first and second spaced apart water drain openings 12 and 14 interconnected by a drain pipe 16 in the interior of the base, pipe 16 being connected by a T-fitting 18 and a P-trap 19 to a vertical waste pipe 21. If desired a check valve 24 can be connected in pipe 16 between opening 12 and fitting 18. Opening 12 is permanently open; opening 14 can be opened or closed as described below.

One-half of base 10 which includes opening 14 is enclosed by four interconnected vertical walls 20 which in cross section define the perimeter of a rectangle or square. One of these walls contains a vertical access door 22 hingedly secured at one vertical edge and having vertically spaced horizontal slots 24 projecting horizontally inward from the other vertical edge.

The bathtub thus formed by walls 20 and the enclosed portion of base 10 has a horizontal seat 26 on which a bather can sit. Adjacent seat 26 on the inside of one wall 20 is exposed the top open end 28 of a pipe 30 which drops vertically to base 10 and extends horizontally along the walls and finally communicates with drain opening 14. Positioned above open end 28 and vertically movable in support 31 is a control knob or ring 32 which is connected by a flexible linkage 34 (positioned and extending in pipe 30) to the drain opening and closing means in opening 14. The knob or ring 32 can be pulled up manually from either inside or outside the bathtub to open the drain and similarly can be pushed down to close the drain.

When the door 22 is closed, handle 36, which is attached to disc 38, can be rotated to cause arms 40, which are pivotally secured at one end to disc 38 at spaced apart 3,371,354 Patented Mar. 5, 1968 positions and which are each secured pivotally at the other end to a corresponding one of lugs 42, to cause lugs 42 to extend horizontally into slots 24 to lock the door in position.

At this point, the water tap 44 can be turned on to fill the tub with water. The water temperature is controlled by mixing cold and hot water in conventional manner. As the water level rises, water flows through slots 46 in plate 48 to fill a chamber 50 within seat 26. Chamber 50 contains a float 52 connected by rod 54 through a linkage 56 to a hook 58 movable into and out of engagement with a hole in disc 38. Rod 54 is pivotally secured at a position intermediate its ends to a pivot 60 extending upward from the base.

When the tub is partially or completely filled with water, float 52 is inclined upward, hook 58 is out of engagement with the disc 38, and the door cannot be unlocked regardless of the position of handle 36. However, when the tub is fully drained, hook 58 is engaged with disc 38, and handle 36 can be turned manually to turn disc 38 to move lugs 42 out of slots 24 to open the door.

While I have described my invention with particular reference to the drawings, my protection is to be limited only by the terms of the claims which follow.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A bathtub comprising a horizontal base having a drain opening having means mounted therein for opening and closing same, four vertical walls interconnected to each other and extending upward from the base to define a bathing chamber open at the top, said walls in cross section defining the closed perimeter of a rectangle, said chamber having a horizontal seat therein, a manually operable pull member secured to the interior of one wall and accessible both from inside and outside said chamber, and a linkage connecting said member to said means whereby manual operation of said member can open and close said drain opening.

2. A tub as set .forth in claim 1 wherein one of said walls has an access door.

3. A tub as set forth in claim 2 wherein said chamber has a locking device manually operable to lock and unlock said door.

4. A tub as set forth in claim 3 wherein said chamber is provided with water level sensing apparatus to identify the level of water in said chamber and connected to said device to prevent said door from being unlocked until said chamber is drained of water.

5. A tub as set forth in claim 4 wherein said apparatus includes a float which extends horizontally when the chamber is drained and is otherwise vertically inclined, said device being capable of being unlocked only when said float extends horizontally.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,044,253 6/ 1936 Morris 4-203 2,058,284 10/1936 Add-iton 4 173 2,139,942 12/1938 Fellipone 4173 2,991,482 7/1961 Brass 4-173 3,283,340 11/1966 McMurtrie et al. 4-173 HAROLD J. GROSS, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BATHTUB COMPRISING A HORIZONTAL BASE HAVING A DRAIN OPENING HAVING MEANS MOUNTED THEREIN FOR OPENING AND CLOSING SAME, FOUR VERTICAL WALLS INTERCONNECTED TO EACH OTHER AND EXTENDING UPWARD FROM THE BASE TO DEFINE A BATHING CHAMBER OPEN AT THE TOP, SAID WALLS IN CROSS SECTION DEFINING THE CLOSED PERIMETER OF A RECTANGLE, SAID CHAMBER HAVING A HORIZONTAL SEAT THEREIN, A MANUALLY OPERABLE PULL MEMBER SECURED TO THE INTERIOR OF ONE WALL AND ACCESSIBLE BOTH FROM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE SAID CHAMBER, AND A LINKAGE CONNECTING SAID MEMBER TO SAID MEANS WHEREBY MANUALLY OPERATING OF SAID MEMBER CAN OPEN AND CLOSE SAID DRAIN OPENING. 